European and Asian delegates to CTU Argao took to the runway the ‘hablon’ couture on October 14th, promoting sustainable practices in the fashion industry.
The Erasmus-backed project “Care What You(th) Wear-KA2 Capacity Building,” introduced by university partner Global Initiative for Exchange and Development (GIED), Inc. and facilitated by CTU Argao, set the tone for sustainable trends such as optimizing the handloom weaving product.
GIED President Queenie Dadulo said that the project “intends to provide educational approaches and tools empowering young people to understand the complexity of issues and their personal role as consumers of the garment.”
The 25 participants had the chance to explore Argao’s “Hablon Social Enterprise” in a two-week seminar on best practices that culminated in Friday’s international fashion show.
Prior to their arrival, GIED introduced Italian stylist Monica Davoli of TDM 2000 Organization, whose visit, according to Dadulo, was “filled with overwhelming insights and amazing experiences with CTU Argao’s great accommodation.”
Since the revitalization of Argao’s heritage through CTU extension services, countless men and women have been given the livelihood. The university’s community development arm has been working day in and day out to mobilize locals toward attaining the United Nation’s sustainable development goals.
GIED and its connections in Europe offer professional knowledge-sharing and intercultural learning that recently took Argao campus academic Mildred Martinez to Greece for a short-term job shadowing activity in September this year.
Materializing the activity were Dr. Lynette Camello, University Director for Education for Sustainable Development; Dr. Jorelyn Concepcion, University Director for Community Extension, Prof. Rubygrace Guia, CTU Argao Internationalization and ASEAN chair; Dr. Engilbert Benolirao, campus director; fellow academics; students and staff./IAI